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Tiny electronic devices implanted into living tissue can dissolve harmlessly when they’re no longer needed.

A team from the Beckman Institute, University of Illinois and Tufts University showed implanted dissolvable - or “transient” - devices fought off infection in laboratory mice, then dissolved completely.

Transient electronics are made from bioresorbable materials such as silicon and magnesium, and are coated by water-soluble layers of silk and magnesium oxide.

The lifespan of the device is dictated by the thickness of the outer layer.